1Visayas State University, Visca, Baybay, Leyte
2*Cebu Technological University, Barili Campus
Corresponding Author: janeth.lacostales@ctu.edu.ph
Objective: This paper aimed to compare the aspects of Agricultural Extension Services Systems (AESS) in South Asian Regions: Nepal, India and Sri-Lanka by applying the systemic comparison and best fit frameworks. It also aimed to describe the general features of the three countries that influence the agricultural extension system in practice as well as to identify and to compare agricultural extension approaches implemented in the identified South Asian regions including its patterns, and trends of the practices and issues in extension.
Background: The South Asia region has a very notable increase in economic growth in recent years. Food security being the backbone of every country's prosperity and well-being has been challenged by the rapid growth of population among the three South Asian countries involved in the study (India, Nepal, Sri-Lanka) with the highest number of concentrations of undernourished and poor people. Agricultural extension is one of the most important keys to advancing innovation and development in rural areas (Davis et al., 2016). In many developing countries, particularly in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, establishing standardized, location specific and combined extension approaches for an efficient and effective extension system can stimulate enhancement, capacity building, increased technology adoption and improved agricultural outcomes. Also, this necessitates considering the contextual factors such as the policy environment, market access, beneficiary characteristics, and weather conditions. These different aspects of the best fit framework can be applied as a solution to design advisory services and establish causal relationships among the characteristics of the South Asian Agricultural Extension.
Conclusion: Hence, comparative analysis is a useful method in enhancing our understanding of the structures and systems that heightened awareness on the issues related to extension practices. This widens our perspective in analyzing food security issues and how extension approaches are able to solve challenges. Moreover, this can provide relevant knowledge to the agricultural extension agents with the actual review of the country/intercountry/region with application of the different extension approaches geared towards the provision of efficient, effective and sustainable extension interventions for an inclusive and holistic economic progress and development in the South Asia Region.
Keywords: AES, Pluralistic Extension System, Extension Service Providers, Training and Visit, Best-fit framework
How to cite this article: Gonzaga RB, Lacostales JL. Comparative Analysis of Agricultural Extension Services System of the South Asia Region (Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka). Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(13s): 412-419. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.13s.45
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: None